| The
Cosmic Space of GÜNTHER SCHNEIDER-SIEMSSEN |
Designs for Ballet and the Concert Stage |
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| Schneider-Siemssen
has a special love for the ballet and thus designs for the art form with
a special joy. He believes that dance opens up even greater possibilities
for the designer than opera, in which the text exacts its own unique demands.
In dance, movement replaces everything, requiring only of the designer an
understanding of the music and a stage scenery that is in harmony with the
dancer: "There are different styles and application methods for plays, drama, opera, operetta, musical and ballet. I carry these facts always with me. In the play one must create a simple playing space. Ballet needs a free stage for all choreography, no visual overload for the players or dancers." His connection with the art form also began in Bremen where he worked closely with the ballet master Herbert Freund. His scenery for Stravinsky's Scènes de Ballet was among his first. He has since designed sceneries for many important ballets in Vienna, Berlin, and London some of which are depicted here. Evident in his designs for dance as for opera are elements of the cosmic. He did not have the chance to work with the great choreographer George Balanchine, but that was only because Balanchine never used scenery for his dances. However, Balanchine is known to have remarked: "If I ever need scenery in my ballet, there is only one designer with whom I would work: that is Schneider-Siemssen!" And that more than made up for the missed opportunity. |
| Grand Designs | Grand Opera | Profile | The Stage, His World | 10 Commandments | Career Highlights | ||||||||
| The
Stage as Cosmic Space: Harmony of the World Comedy from the End of Time Die Frau ohne Schatten |
Painting
with Light: Wagner Operas Modern & Contemporary Operas Pageantry & Art Deco |
Lord
of the Rings: Salzburg Easter Festival Metropolitan Opera Warsaw |
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We thank Christopher Schneider-Siemssen for generously providing the photos and reference materials used in the preparation of these pages.
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